Carter

Seeing Nora like that scared the living shit out of me and I never wanted to see it again.

“Thank you, Zoey,” I spoke.

“For what?”

“For taking care of Nora.”

“It’s my job, Mr. Grayson.”

She was right, it was her job. But I still felt the need to thank her. She sat across from me, and as I stared at her, she wouldn’t even make eye contact. I needed to talk to her because I just couldn’t sit and let my mind overthink the worst. It drove me insane.

 “How do you do it?” I asked. “How do you surround yourself with so much pain and death all the time?”

She brought her cup up to her lips and took a sip from it.

“This is what I was born to do,” she simply said with a small smile.

Just as I was about to ask her what she meant, a doctor walked into the waiting room.

“For Nora Grayson?”

We both stood up as the doctor walked over to us.

“Nora is resting now. We did a brain scan and saw a shadow in another area. Seizures are common with this stage of cancer. It was to be expected, to be honest. We’ve started her on fluids and some medication. I want to keep her here for a couple of days just to monitor her and get an MRI. You may go see her but not for too long. She needs her rest.”

“Thank you, doctor,” I spoke.

Zoey and I followed the doctor behind the double doors and down the hallway where Nora was.

“We’re going to be moving her upstairs to room 205 as soon as it’s ready,” the doctor spoke. “Like I said, don’t stay too long.”

I gave him a nod as he walked out of the room. Zoey stood on one side of her bed while I walked around to the other side.

“She looks so peaceful,” I spoke as I stared at my sister.

“The seizure took a toll on her body. She’s resting comfortably now.”

I could hear the sounds of an old woman a couple of curtains down moaning and yelling out. It was constant and it really irritated me. Just when I’d had about enough, a nurse walked in and took Nora’s vitals.

“Can’t you do something about that woman?” I asked the nurse. “It’s very disruptive, not only to family members but also the other patients here.”

“She’s been like that all day. We can’t calm her down and the medication doesn’t seem to be working. We’re waiting for a room to open up on the psychiatric floor so we can transfer her up there.”

“Does she have any family?” Zoey asked.

“Her neighbor brought her in and said that she has no family that she knew of.”

After checking Nora’s vitals, the nurse left and Zoey followed behind.

“Where are you going?” I asked her.

“I’ll be right back.” She smiled.

I was curious as to what she was up to, so I followed her out of the room and down the hall where the old woman lay yelling and moaning. Zoey stood at her bedside and took hold of her hand. The old woman looked at her and instantly quieted down.

“It’s okay. It’s time for you to go home,” Zoey whispered.

The old woman looked at her and then turned her head to the other side and blankly stared at nothing.

“See. They’re waiting for you,” Zoey spoke. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. They’re here to take you home.”

The old woman looked over at Zoey again and brought her hand up to her cheek.

“It’s okay. I promise.” Zoey smiled as she removed the woman’s hand from her cheek and held it.

A gurgling noise erupted from her, and in an instant, she was gone. I stood there and watched as Zoey stared straight ahead with a smile on her face. I furrowed my brows as I looked at her. Swallowing hard, I turned around and went back to Nora’s room. I didn’t know what to make of what I’d just witnessed. Zoey walked back in the room just as Nora opened her eyes. We stayed with her until they transferred her up to room 205 and visiting hours had ended. As we walked out of the hospital and climbed into the car, I looked at her and spoke, “What the hell happened back there with that old woman?”

“She was dying but afraid to let go, so I helped her. It’s what I do, Mr. Grayson.”

I shook my head in confusion.

“I heard you tell her that it was time to go home. Why would you lie to her like that?”

The corners of her mouth curved up into a small smile.

“I didn’t lie to her. She was being called to go home, but she was too afraid.”

“I take it you’re not talking about her home here?” I asked as I narrowed my eye.

“No. She was being called to go home to Heaven.”

“And you really believe that load of shit?”

“It’s not a load of shit, and yes, I do.”

I sat there, staring out the passenger window shaking my head. This woman was insane.

“It is a load of shit. There’s no such place and there certainly is no God. Believe what you want and live in your fucking fairytale world,” I spewed. “But don’t ever talk to me about it.”